The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1887-12-10

the hearing" Cor. xii. III
In the social circle friends often raise
the question whether to lose the sense
of sight were any greater calamity than
to lose the sense of sound. The good
in such debate is found in the refec-
ton it calls forth over the two vast en-
pires, that of scenes and that of sounds.
The disputation ends generally in the
deeper conviction that each realm is
measureless. The Marseillaise Hymn
swept over France with power more
tremendous than that of any object Of
sight. This nation has seen days in
which the sound of patriotic hymn
surpassed in pathos and meaning the
combined beauties of nature and art.
The song of the nightingale will draw
a tear of memory and affection sooner
than will the poisoning orange tree in
which the night bird sits. The words
and voices of our friends are as precious
as their faces. Thus, scene is weighed
as against sound and sound against
scene, but always with the one result,
the feeling that these hemispheres are
measureless.
Man is equipped with many powers,
because his world came from God and
is myriad sided, and upon each side
vast. After he has approached the
world with his five senses then he passes
beyond them and must analyze the fact
over again by the instrument Of pure
thought. The study of philosophers
may be said to begin where the senses
cease to act. After man has seen and
heard the singer, then arises the won
der whence came the singer. After
man has marked the size and color and
perfume of the rose, he passes to the
inquiry, whence it came. After he has
seen and heard and weighed the human
being, then comes the study over his
politics, his conscience, his religion, his
genius, his origin and destiny. The
five senses thus mark only the great
outline of mankind +; they are a few
words of introduction of a stranger by
a stranger; all deep acquaintance and
perhaps love must come from move
ments deeper down in the soul. In
the study of the stars astronomers be-
gin with few near bodies. AS they
look beyond these the phenomena of
the sky increases in number and great
ness and at last they put aside their
instruments and in despair say World
upon world, world upon world forever.
When Paul says, "If the whole body
were an eye, where would the hearing
be % he suggests the breadth of man,
the tendency of the soul to spread out
so as to comprehend wider and
wider world. If what little we know is
all, what is to become of the things
now beyond our reach? If this little
planet is all there is to man what to us
must be the vast company of worlds
that Dedeck our SKY
From all the thoughts which might
spring up over this smile of the old
Saint, one may well be chosen as an adj
equate theme of reflection, namely, the
symmetry of our age. This age, like
all it's predecessors, must advance in a
kind of entirety. The migration must
be that of all. 1t must be the exodus
of the whole crowd. Liberty tends to
symmetry. AS the trees along stream
have more of light and air on the one
side and soon are bent over the water
by the heavier foliage made by the air
and light, and as tree in the open field
rises up in a beautiful roundness, 80
man cramped by despotism becomes
one-sided, but under the open, equal
air and sun of freedom he tends toward
a many-shaped development. Liberty
implies, therefore, the onward march
of all. In this movement all join. The
men, young and old, the women, omit
ted in the former ages, the little chill
dren, despised once, now help compose
the procession which pours tumultuous-
ly along.
The innate love of proportion is very
strong. A pillar may easily be too
strong for the little load it must sup
port it may easily pain the spectator
by being too small. In the classic archi-
lecture the stone columns so arose I'M
der their burdens that to do their work
seemed pleasure and all who saw
classic temple felt that each part could
perform its task forever there being
no injustice anywhere in column or ped
iment or arch or pedestal. In the con-
struction of a literary work Roman
poet declared the value of proportion
that all must harmonic like the MEM
beers of the human body. In society
this same love of proportion reappears,
and there is a wonderful struggle for
adjustment and equality. The educa-
ton of man soon began to involve the
education of woman the rights of
man, the rights of woman, the rights
of child. In despotic period such an
equalization of persons did not clamor
to be confessed. 1t was an unseen
beauty. The innate love of proportion
existed, but the mind did not know
where to look for it, had no dream of